


Isaac's Nighttime Problem

by courtinator



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awesome Melissa McCall, Awesome Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Awesome Stiles Stilinski, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Good Parent Melissa McCall, Isaac Lahey & Scott McCall Friendship, Isaac Lahey & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Isaac Lahey Feels, Past Abuse, Platonic Cuddling, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Scott is a Good Friend, Sleepwalking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29306736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/courtinator/pseuds/courtinator
Summary: After Isaac moves into his house, Scott discovers a problem he has at night and tries his best to help him through it, with a little help along the way.
Relationships: Isaac Lahey & Melissa McCall, Isaac Lahey & Scott McCall, Isaac Lahey & Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey & Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 39
Kudos: 43





	Isaac's Nighttime Problem

**Author's Note:**

> Set right after Isaac moves in with Scott, before the events of the next episode.

When Isaac moved into his house, Scott knew some things would be different. But he hadn’t expected this. He thought there would be some having to wait longer for the bathroom in the morning or arguing over what to watch on TV, but there was none of that. Isaac was somehow the perfect houseguest. He did his best to be unobtrusive, helped out wherever he could, and was basically the perfect son. Scott knew most of it was bred from years of abuse, but they weren’t really close enough where he felt comfortable sitting the other teen down and talking it out with him. He just quietly filled his mom in on the things he knew about Isaac’s past and they took every opportunity they could to thank Isaac for whatever he did and try to ease him into relaxing a bit more, without being completely obvious. So it was pretty much a fact that daytime Isaac was perfect. Nighttime Isaac was a bit more tricky.

Scott’s house wasn’t small by any means, but it wasn’t the biggest either. It was more than enough room for him and his mom to live comfortably, but adding another person, and an almost fully grown man at that, was a little complicated. The only other bedroom in the house was tiny and had been used for storage as long as he could remember, but there really wasn’t anywhere else to put Isaac. Scott cringed when he had first shown Isaac the room, thinking back to the moment in the janitor’s closet in school where Isaac had freaked out after being locked in with Allison. Isaac had just smiled awkwardly, pointing to the small window along the wall. So, while not ideal, Isaac hadn’t objected to it and they spent the next day moving boxes into the attic and setting up the frame of Scott’s old twin bed. His mom was mortified, but it was all they had at the moment. Isaac assured them both that anything was okay and after some gentle questioning later, Scott found out Isaac had been sleeping on an old mattress thrown on the floor in a corner of the loft. Scott just gave him a tight smile and imagined punching Derek in the face with wolfsbane covered brass knuckles.

And Isaac never complained. He just sat in his room most of the time, working on homework or just hanging out alone. Scott wished he wasn’t so busy at the clinic, but he wanted to make as much money as he could to help cover some of the new expenses his mom had with another boy in the house. He’d never tell them that though. And Stiles still took up most of his free time. Scott made a point to invite Isaac along as much as possible, but he usually declined. Things had never fully thawed between Isaac and Stiles, but as long as they weren’t actively antagonizing each other, Scott considered it a win.

The night things changed started out as normally as any other. Isaac was cleaning up after dinner while Scott was quizzing him with flash cards for a test they had in chemistry the next day. They were joking with each other about some of the funnier sounding terms and it all seemed so casual. They finished up and went their separate ways, Isaac mumbling something about the early cross country practice and Scott groaning along with him. He hadn’t been expecting to be woken up by the sound of his mom screaming a few hours later.

Wolf senses had him up and running before his confused human brain could even catch up. All he felt were his instincts telling him to protect his family, no matter what. There was a silhouette in the doorway to his mom’s bedroom and he tackled it, falling to the ground with it in a pile of wild limbs. His mom rolled out of bed, clicking on the lamp sitting on her nightstand. The weak bulb bathed the room in a yellow glow, revealing a partially wolfed-out Scott hovering over a cowering Isaac.

“What the- Isaac?” Scott stuttered, feeling himself slowly reverting back to his human form. Isaac peeked his head out from where he was covering it protectively with his arms, his face flushed and his eyes shining with unshed tears.

“I- I-” Isaac mumbled, flicking his eyes around the room.

“Isaac, what were you doing?” his mom asked, wrapping her robe around herself.

“I don’t, I don’t know,” Isaac stammered, scooting away to huddle in the corner. Scott backed off a little, staying on Isaac’s level so he didn’t come off too aggressive.

“Honey, were you sleepwalking?” his mom wondered, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

“Oh God, I’m so sorry!” Isaac moaned, covering his face with his hands. Scott let out a quiet snort, followed by a yelp as his mom slapped his shoulder.

“Sorry, I’m just relieved,” Scott excused, settling back on his butt on the floor. If his choices were this or some sort of attack, he’d choose this every time.

“Do you sleepwalk a lot, Isaac?” she asked soothingly.

“Not- not really. I mean, I don’t think I have. Not for a while,” Isaac said, ducking his head away from them.

“I had a cousin that used to sleepwalk and try to cook in her sleep. My aunt had to put a bell on the fridge to wake them up in case she made it to the kitchen,” she giggled lightly. “What do you usually do?” Scott made sure not to look back at his mom as she told her story. She didn’t have any cousins.

“Just wander around the house I guess,” he said, quietly sniffling and trying to regain his composure.

“I guess we won’t need a bell then,” his mom said, leaning forward to ruffle Isaac’s hair. He flinched back a little before hopping to his feet, slowly stepping back toward the door.

“I’m so sorry I woke you. It won’t happen again,” Isaac insisted, shooting them both a look before scurrying back to his room. His mom opened her mouth to say something, but Scott silenced her with a shake of his head and a warning point to his ear. He didn’t want Isaac to hear them discussing him behind his back. Scott would give him some time to cool off, then talk to him about it in the morning.

*

Isaac was gone by the time Scott got up and he almost panicked until he found the hastily scribbled note on the kitchen counter about heading to school early to study before practice. Scott knew Isaac was just trying to avoid an awkward conversation, but he knew ignoring it and letting the issue fester would just make things worse in the end. This wasn’t even a big deal, but Isaac could get pretty skittish about some things, so he wanted to be careful about how he brought it up. He liked having Isaac around and didn’t want to ruin things.

Scott finally caught up with him out on the field, after Isaac slid into the locker room at the last possible second. Coach Finstock was already grumbling about people needing their beauty rest and Scott distracted him with a question about lacrosse so Isaac could be spared more of a lecture. Scott sidled up to Isaac during their run, trying to start up a conversation, but Isaac brushed him off, murmuring something about needing to focus on finishing the run so he could get a little more studying in. Scott decided to leave it alone for the rest of the school day, knowing Isaac wouldn’t be receptive to a talk with other people around. Luckily his mom had an afternoon shift at the hospital and he was off for the day, so they would have the house to themselves for a few hours.

Of course, Isaac slipped away after school before Scott could offer him a ride. Sure, the back of his bike wasn’t the most comfortable thing to ride on, but Isaac hadn’t complained about it before. Scott knew Isaac was just avoiding him. So he settled down on the couch, pulling out his homework and trying to act like he wasn’t waiting for the other boy to walk through the door. Surprisingly, he didn’t have to wait long and Isaac was actually the one to approach him.

“Hey Scott, can we talk?” Isaac asked, standing awkwardly in front of the door with his hands behind his back.

“Of course!” Scott exclaimed, jumping up quickly. Isaac raised an eyebrow at his eagerness, so he tried to exude an air of calm. “I mean, yeah, what’s up?” At least acting like a goof was putting Isaac a little more at ease, if that small smile was anything to go by.

“Uh, about last night. I wanted to apologize again for scaring your mom. You have to know I’d never hurt her, okay?” Isaac insisted, looking like that fact was the most important thing in the world for Scott to accept.

“No, of course not!” Scott reassured. “I had no idea it was you last night, that’s the only reason I tackled you.” Isaac looked relieved by that, nodding his acceptance.

“So, it doesn’t happen a lot, but usually when I start sleepwalking I do it for a while. I can’t keep scaring your mom like that, so I think I came up with a good solution?” Isaac said, fiddling with whatever he had behind his back. Scott was immediately on edge. It wasn’t that Isaac was dumb, but his ideas usually skewed toward worrisome instead of well thought out. And he did not disappoint. He brought his hands out in front of him, clutching the pieces of a doorknob.

“Dude,” Scott sighed, staring at the bundle of parts.

“It doesn’t have to be forever, just a couple weeks. I’m sure it’ll settle, I always have before,” Isaac said, holding the materials in front of him. Scott stepped back, not wanting to touch them.

“Before? You mean like with your…” Scott trailed off, not wanting to even say the words.

“Yeah, I mean it usually worked,” Isaac confirmed, nodding his head at his hands.

“What happened when it didn’t work?” Scott blurted out before he could stop himself. Isaac stayed silent, only biting his lip a little. That was answer enough for Scott though. “No, that’s not how things work in this house. We don’t lock people up.”

“I can’t stay if I’m going to be freaking your mom out! She doesn’t deserve that, after all she’s done for me. Neither of you do,” Isaac insisted, jerking his full hands in Scott’s direction again.  
“I’m not going to be another person in your life who treats you poorly!” Scott yelled, his frustration at things beyond his control bubbling over. Isaac flinched back a little in response to his anger and it just made him feel worse. But it solidified his decision to never make Isaac feel like he wasn’t safe in his own home.

“This is the first time this has happened since the bite. What if I get aggressive or something? I’d never forgive myself,” Isaac whispered, his shoulders hunched so far that Scott’s back started hurting in sympathy.

“You didn’t fight back at all last night when I full on attacked you. We can come up with something else, but there is absolutely no way I’m going to lock you up,” Scott declared, scooping up the knob parts and dropping them in the nearest trash can. Isaac still looked unsure, but didn’t say anything. “Maybe we can use the suggestion from my mom’s story? We might not need a bell for the fridge, but we can put one on your door. That way, if you get up in the middle of the night, I’ll hear it and I can get up and lead you back to your room.”

“I don’t want to wake you every night. You need your sleep,” Isaac grimaced, flicking his eyes toward the garbage and away again.

“If I needed something from you in the middle of the night, would you be mad at me for waking you up?” Scott asked, trying a different approach.

“Of course not,” Isaac said, and Scott could tell that he meant it with all he had.

“So why can’t I do the same for you?” Scott challenged, watching Isaac slump even more, if that was physically possible.

“You’ve already done so much for me. I can’t keep taking without giving something in return,” Isaac sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat.

“You don’t have to do anything for me. Just knowing you’re here and that you have my back is enough,” Scott said, walking over to pat Isaac on the shoulder. The taller boy rolled his eyes, but accepted that he wasn’t going to win this argument. “And I gotta admit, it has been nice to have someone to share my chores with. I hate washing dishes.”

*

“Are you sure this will work?” Isaac asked, biting his thumb nail as he eyed the little bell warily.

“Dude, it’s perfect!” Scott assured, securing the collar to the outside knob of Isaac’s bedroom door. “I hear these things all day at the clinic, so I’ll definitely wake up when you open the door. And it’s quiet enough that it won’t wake up my mom.” Isaac fingered at it a little after it was tied on, raising an eyebrow at the name on the tag.

“You guys had a dog named Scott?” Isaac asked, sounding totally confused.

“No, Stiles got me that after, you know. He thinks it’s so funny,” Scott groaned, although he did find it humorous. Isaac did too, letting out the first laugh Scott had heard from the boy since before the sleepwalking stuff happened. Stiles always had a way of lightening the mood, even when he wasn’t around. 

They went about the rest of their day like normal, at least as normal as it got for them now. Isaac whipped them up some grilled cheese sandwiches while he kept a close eye on the soup, chatting casually about light topics. Nothing about werewolves or family or the impending nighttime experiment. Isaac was relaxed through most of it, but Scott could tell he was getting more tense as the night went on. Scott tried everything he could to keep Isaac’s mind off of sleeping, but there was only so much he could do. He couldn’t will the sun to stay up longer and soon enough they were both headed up to their rooms.

“It’ll be fine,” Scott insisted, standing with Isaac outside his bedroom door. “I’ll keep my door open so there’s no way I won’t hear you get up. Then I’ll just guide you back to bed.”

“Are you sure?” Isaac asked, rubbing the back of his neck in apprehension.

“Of course I am,” Scott laughed. “You’ll see. There will be no issues.”

And there weren’t any issues for two nights. Although Scott didn’t really consider what did happen an issue either. After two nights of no sleepwalking, Isaac had almost gone back to normal. His smiles came easier and he didn’t glare at the bell on his door when he passed it as much. They were almost sure it was just a one time thing. So when Scott heard the little bell around 1am, he sprang out of bed in only a slight panic. He crept to the door, not wanting to spook Isaac when he saw him. He peeked around the frame, using his superior wolf vision to see in the dark. He spotted Isaac walking toward him, and carefully stepped out to intercept him.

“Isaac?” Scott said softly, brushing his fingertips across his forearm.

“Shit!” Isaac yelped, jumping back in shock.

“Whoa, it’s just me!” Scott whispered, patting the air in front of himself to calm the other boy down.

“Sorry, I was just going to the bathroom,” Isaac mumbled, gripping his chest as he came down from the surprise.

“Oh!” Scott chuckled, hiding his smirk behind his hand. “At least we know it worked.” Isaac rolled his eyes and kept walking toward the bathroom, leaving Scott alone in the darkened hallway. A little embarrassment wouldn’t kill anyone, but Scott still made sure he was back in bed by the time Isaac was done, so they didn’t have another awkward run in.

When the bell sounded an hour later, Scott held back his groan, not wanting the other boy to hear it and think he was mad at being woken up. He’d promised Isaac it wasn’t a big deal, so he wouldn’t make it one. But he did make a note to talk to Isaac about cutting off his liquids a bit earlier.

“Another bathroom break?” Scott whispered, peeking back into the hallway. He jerked back when he was face to face with Isaac, a blank stare on the other boy. “Isaac?” Isaac didn’t react, just remained standing right outside the room. Would touching him make him freak out? Scott thought he’d know what to do when the time came, but now he was nervous. What if the myth about waking a sleepwalker was true? They might’ve gotten lucky before, but he didn’t want to give Isaac a heart attack. 

“Isaac?” Scott tried again, stepping all the way out of the room. Maybe he could just herd him back to bed. Scott tried coaxing Isaac in the direction of his room, but Isaac went the opposite way, walking toward the now unblocked doorway to Scott’s room. That was weird, but Scott waited to see what Isaac would do next. Isaac hovered for a few moments at the side of his bed before sliding under the covers and laying down.

All Scott could do for a minute was stand there in surprise. He’d been prepared for a possible fight, not a sleepover. But he could tell by Isaac’s breathing that he was already asleep. Should he try waking him up and sending him back to his own bed? Should he go sleep in Isaac’s bed for the night? Sharing a bed wasn’t that weird, was it? He had with Stiles plenty of times when they were younger and he was sure girls did during slumber parties. Why couldn’t guys?

Scott nodded to himself, figuring it was only weird if he made it weird. It was a full size bed and there was more than enough room for the both of them. He slid carefully into bed next to Isaac, pausing when the other boy shifted a bit. When he was sure Isaac was still asleep, Scott settled fully into his spot, rolling a little to get comfortable. This wasn’t so bad. There was something comforting about sleeping next to a warm body. And Isaac didn’t seem to be a snorer, which was a plus. Scott could deal with this for one night.

*

Scott groaned when his alarm went off, rolling over to slap it quiet. There was something big and warm blocking the way though and his not fully awake brain didn’t register what it was until it twitched and went rigid. Oh yeah, sleepover with Isaac. Isaac wasn’t quite as chill about it, vaulting himself out of the bed and cracking his head on the corner of the end table as he went.

“Shit!” Scott yelled, leaning over the bed to check on his friend who was lying in a daze on the floor. Isaac was wide eyed and frozen, the weeping wound on his temple already closing up.

“What’s going on?” his mom shouted, banging into the room with a blender held above her head as a weapon. Only she would rush to try to defend her supernaturally strong son armed with a kitchen appliance.

“Nothing,” Scott shrugged, aiming for nonchalance. It was kind of hard to pull off, given their current situation. Isaac sat up, wiping at the trickle of blood that rolled down toward his hair.

“Are you okay sweetie?” she asked, nodding in Isaac’s direction.

“Yep!” Isaac squeaked, clearing his throat in embarrassment.

“Well then, I’m going back downstairs,” she said, turning slowly before leaving the room. Scott glanced over at Isaac, hoping he had snapped out of his stupor by this point.

“So our experiment worked,” Scott said with a smile, watching as Isaac’s expression went from confused to incredulous.

“What the hell?” Isaac muttered, scrubbing his hands down his face.

“Really though. The bell woke me up and you didn’t scare my mom. We accomplished everything we set out to do,” Scott insisted, laying back on his bed.

“What happened to the part where you led me back to my own bed?” Isaac asked, slowly dragging himself to his feet.

“That part might take a little practice,” Scott admitted, bobbing his head to one side in contemplation. “It’s not as easy as it sounds.”

“You should’ve just shook me or something. Those stories about waking up a sleepwalker aren’t really true,” Isaac muttered, messing with the hem of his shirt.

“Why would sharing a bed bother me? We both slept fine and it isn’t a big deal. Who cares?” Scott scoffed.

“Not everyone feels that way,” Isaac mumbled, turning his face away. Scott frowned, not thinking Isaac would be the type to care about such things.

“What do you mean?” Scott asked, wanting clarification before jumping to conclusions. Isaac sighed, perching on the edge of the bed, still facing away from Scott.

“One night, after my mom died, there was a storm outside. It hadn’t gotten that bad with my dad yet, so when I got scared I went into his room. I’d done it when I was younger, so I didn’t think he’d mind. He minded,” Isaac whispered, sniffling a little. Scott sighed, mentally shaking his fist at everyone who’d ever hurt Isaac.

“I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, you know that right? No matter what, I’d never choose to be cruel,” Scott said firmly, putting as much strength and truth into the words as he could muster.

“I would’ve said the same thing about my dad too at one point. Maybe even Derek,” Isaac said quietly, bunching up a bit of blanket in his fist. “I know it’s not fair to judge you based on the actions of others, but it’s hard, you know? I just keep waiting and I haven’t been proven wrong yet.”

“Well, I hate to break it to you,” Scott said, setting a firm hand on top of Isaac’s, “but I’m gonna prove you wrong this time.” 

*

“Maybe he’s subconsciously looking for comfort?” his mom suggested the next day. Isaac had gone for a run after school and it was the first time Scott had been able to talk to her alone since that first night. He’d thought about talking to Stiles about it, since he went to Stiles for everything, but he wasn’t sure if Isaac would have a problem with that. So Scott went with his mom, since she was already there and also pretty smart.

“From me though?” Scott asked, looking unsure.

“Well, he came to my room first and that didn’t go well, so maybe his mind has shifted gears to the only other person in the house? You have to admit that you’ve gotten close since he started living here. And I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on the whole werewolf thing, but maybe he can sense that part too?” she wondered, sitting down with a mug of coffee. She was getting ready to work a night shift at the hospital, so Scott wanted to get as much advice from her while he could.

“I guess that makes sense. I’m not his Alpha or really even in his pack, but labels may not matter as much when he’s asleep. Do you think he did this with Derek? That this is the reason he kicked Isaac out?” Scott asked, scraping his finger along the tabletop.

“I don’t know, but if it is, I would love to give that boy a talking to. Derek took responsibility for Isaac the moment he turned him and for him to kick him out over something like that, it’s unacceptable,” she stated firmly, squinting her eyes in anger. No matter how big and bad Derek thought he was, his mom would still lay down the law when she saw fit.

“So what do you think I should do?” Scott questioned, needing his mom to lay out the perfect plan that would make everyone happy. She was the mom, that’s what she did, right?

“Keep doing what you’re doing I’d say,” she shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. “Keep letting him know that you’re there for him and you care about him. I think that’s more important to Isaac than anything.” Scott nodded, contemplating her words in companionable silence. His mom had never steered him wrong before, so he knew he could trust her opinion. He heard the sound of light footfalls and panting and tensed up.

“Isaac’s back! Act normal,” Scott whispered, leaning back in his chair to look casual.

“I'm already normal honey,” she laughed, taking her empty mug to the sink to rinse. Isaac came in through the kitchen door a few seconds later, pouring sweat. “I’m gonna go get ready for my shift. Try to eat something somewhat healthy for dinner tonight, okay?” She gave him a kiss on the top of his head and turned to do the same to Isaac, but reconsidered after seeing the state he was in. She just kissed her palm and laid it gently on Isaac’s cheek as she left the room and Scott hid his grin at the flush on the other boy’s face. His mom was right. Isaac just needed people to show him they cared.

“Dude, how far did you run?” Scott laughed, watching Isaac move to the sink and chug down a glass of water before refilling it.

“I’m not sure, I just ran around the woods until I got tired,” Isaac shrugged, sipping at his second glass much slower.

“I bet Coach will appreciate your dedication to the team,” Scott snickered, rolling his eyes at the thought of their eccentric coach.

“Yeah, and I figured if my body was more tired when I went to sleep, maybe I’d stay in my own bed,” Isaac mumbled, turning to clean and put away his glass.

“I told you, you don’t have to worry about that. I really don’t mind,” Scott sighed, hating how dejected Isaac sounded. “Stiles used to sleep in my bed too. It’s not a big deal.”

“But he’s your best friend,” Isaac argued.

“We’re friends too though, right?” Scott asked.

“I- yeah, of course. I mean, I guess. I’m not really used to having friends,” Isaac admitted, staring down at his shoes. Scott didn’t know why he felt so protective over this boy, especially one with a few inches on him and the ability to rip someone limb from limb, but he did. Maybe it was a wolf thing, but he would do anything to keep someone he cared about from being hurt.

“Well, you have some now and I’ll consider it my job to teach you the ins and outs. First rule is that you can trust your friends to help you with whatever you need. I need help feeding myself, because according to my mother, I’m hopeless in the kitchen,” Scott said, smiling when he saw the fond eye roll from Isaac. “I do need to ask you for a more important favor though.”

“Anything,” Isaac answered immediately.

“Take a shower please. I think you’re burning off my heightened sense of smell,” Scott laughed, ducking to avoid Isaac’s sweat droplets as he shook exaggeratedly like a wet dog.

“Whatever McCall,” Isaac grumbled, stomping out of the room. It was only his enhanced hearing that caught the quiet “thanks” as Isaac went up the stairs.

*

When 1am rolled around and the little bell sounded again, Scott was ready for it. He walked over to the door and waited to see if this was the real deal or just another bathroom break. Sleepwalking Isaac was on a mission this time, coming straight into the room and heading right for the bed. Scott let him, giving him space to do what he wanted. Isaac climbed under the covers, tucking himself into a ball on the very edge. It seemed like even sleeping Isaac was unsure of himself.

Scott crept over, glancing longingly at his favorite pillow which was currently under Isaac’s head, and slid in next to him. He wondered what Isaac would be like without his history. If he’d grown up in a typical family with no abuse. Would he be more like the Isaac he saw right after he was turned, cocky and aggressive? Or would he still be the sweet, soft spoken guy he’d gotten to know? Scott mourned the fact that his personality had been formed from a place of survival.

Isaac’s groan woke him up before his alarm and Scott twitched with worry that something was wrong. The other boy was fine though, just moaning in embarrassment over the situation they found themselves in again.

“Morning,” Scott said casually, stretching his limbs like a cat. “How’d you sleep? I slept great.”

“Are we sure locking me in my room is a bad idea?” Isaac grumbled, staring at the ceiling.

“Yep,” Scott said, rolling out of bed and walking around to turn off his alarm before it went off in a few minutes. Isaac grabbed his wrist before he could go further, staring up at him from where he’d perched on one elbow.

“You’ll tell me though, right? If you start to get sick of me?” Isaac asked, chewing the inside of his cheek. “Just don’t wait until you can’t take it anymore, okay?” Scott could tell what he meant, but didn’t want to say out loud. To not wait until he couldn’t stand Isaac being around anymore and just get rid of him.

“Yeah, but that’s not gonna happen,” Scott agreed, patting Isaac on the hand. Isaac nodded in acceptance, but Scott could tell he still didn’t fully believe him. “You’re actually the best sleep mate I’ve had. Stiles always hogged the blankets and don’t say anything, but Allison snores.” Isaac snorted at that, finally relaxing a bit.

“Might be good blackmail material if Allison decides to come at me with her daggers again,” Isaac muttered with a lazy half smile. Scott winced at the memory of that fight, but at least they’d all come out of it alive. And despite what Isaac said, he was sure that he wasn’t holding a grudge, especially after their incident in the storage room at school. He’d have to see about setting up something like that with Stiles so they could get past their awkwardness. Something less dangerous though.

Scott actually got the chance the next weekend. The next few days had gone by fine, with Isaac spending about every other night in his bed. It was starting to become normal, even if Isaac was still a bit tense every morning. But then Sheriff Stilinski had to leave town for a few days and didn’t want Stiles to stay home alone, with everything that was going on around town with the sacrifices. And like always, Stiles would be staying in the McCall house. As soon as Stiles announced the news at lunch that Wednesday, Isaac had immediately left the table, murmuring something about studying in the library.

“What’s his problem? Doesn’t want the competition?” Stiles asked, staring at Isaac’s retreating back. Scott hadn’t told anyone about the sleepwalking thing because he knew Isaac would be upset. But there might not be any avoiding it now, since Stiles would be staying with him until at least Monday. And Isaac hadn’t gone that long without sleepwalking to his bed since the whole thing started. He needed to talk to Isaac before he said anything.

Scott didn’t get a chance to talk to Isaac until late that night. He’d had a shift at the clinic, which Stiles hung around for, then he’d gone back to his house with him so he could grab all the stuff he needed for his extended stay. Isaac was hiding out in his room when they got back, but Scott snuck away to talk to him while Stiles was in the shower.

“Hey, can we talk?” Scott asked, hovering uncertainly in the doorway. Isaac was sitting on the floor, surrounded by books and homework.

“Yeah,” Isaac replied, chewing on the end of his pen a bit.

“So, I haven’t mentioned anything to Stiles about, you know,” Scott said, tapping a little on the door knob.

“Good, that’s good,” Isaac nodded, flipping a few pages of one of his books.

“I don’t think it would be a big deal if he knew though,” Scott suggested, testing the waters. Isaac shot him a dubious look, but didn’t say anything. “I know you guys aren’t really close, but he means well. He wouldn’t do or say anything bad.”

“Look, I can’t stop you if you want to tell him, but I’d prefer if you didn’t. It’s just one more thing, you know? First I’m the abused kid who may have killed his father, then I’m the homeless werewolf. It’s just another thing in a long line of bad labels,” Isaac mumbled, peeking up from his spot on the floor.

“I get it, but what do I say if you come in my room tonight?” Scott asked, hearing the shower down the hall flip off.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Scott didn’t know how Isaac could be so sure about that until two days later when Isaac was falling asleep in class. True to his word, he hadn’t left his room at all the past two nights and now Scott knew why. Isaac hadn’t been sleeping at all.

“Dude!” Scott exclaimed, dragging Isaac by the arm into the empty locker room as they were headed to lunch. “You haven’t been sleeping?”

“What else was I supposed to do?” Isaac grumbled, plopping down onto a bench.

“Stiles isn’t going home until Monday night. You think you’re gonna stay up until then?” Scott challenged.

“If that’s what I have to do, then yeah,” Isaac snapped, dragging a hand through his hair.

“That’s impossible! Is Stiles finding out you sleepwalk really worth what you’re doing to yourself?” Scott argued, feeling the urge to shake some sense into the other boy.

“If Stiles finds out, then everyone finds out! What will Derek think if he finds out I need someone to cuddle with every night? He made me to be strong and I’m already not good enough to stay in his loft. What if this is what makes him decide I’m not good enough to be in his pack?” Isaac yelled, the desperation clear in his voice.

“Derek wouldn’t do that,” Scott insisted, even though he honestly wasn’t sure. Derek was known for making less than predictable decisions.

“He only needs three Betas. He has Boyd, he has Peter, and he has Cora. I can’t give him another reason to see me as expendable,” Isaac whispered. This had gotten so much bigger than sleepwalking and Scott was woefully unfit to deal with it.

“No matter what Derek does or doesn’t do, you’ll still have me,” Scott said, sitting down on the bench next to Isaac and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. Isaac tensed up a little, but didn’t pull away. “Just think about it, okay? I promise I won’t say anything to him, but you have to try to get some sleep. When I say I’m not going to sit back and watch someone hurt you, I also mean I’m not going to watch you hurt yourself.” Isaac sighed, bumping his head against Scott’s in an unusually companionable action for him. The road might be bumpy, but they’d get there eventually.

*

“So what’s the plan for this weekend? Party at my place while my dad is gone? That’s what people do, right?” Stiles babbled, laying back on Scott’s bed. He was sitting next to him while Isaac was in his desk chair, drooping against the desk. There was no way he was going to last another night staying up.

“Your dad would kill you if you tried that,” Scott laughed, jostling him with his elbow. “And my mom would definitely rat you out.”

“But I’m her favorite!” Stiles whined, poking his lip out in a pout.

“Sure you are,” Scott soothed, not mentioning the soft spot his mom had already developed for the dozing boy across the room.

“So what are we gonna do to him?” Stiles whispered, rubbing his hands together conspiratorially.

“What? Do what to who?” Scott asked, not following along on Stiles’ quick conversation shift.

“Isaac. Sleepover law dictates you have to do something funny to the person who falls asleep first,” Stiles explained, glancing around the room for inspiration. 

“What, no!” Scott objected, throwing an arm across Stiles’ chest to pin him to the bed. “I don’t think that rule applies to werewolves. It seems like a good way for someone to get hurt.”

“I wasn’t gonna hurt him,” Stiles scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s what I was worried about,” Scott chuckled, rolling off the bed and walking over to Isaac. He couldn’t let the boy sleep propped up on his desk all night. Scott reached a careful hand toward Isaac’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “Isaac?”

A hand immediately gripped his wrist and gold eyes flashed before quickly shifting back to normal blue. Scott stood still, letting Isaac get his bearings back before attempting to free his hand or talk.

“W-what?” Isaac stuttered, blinking rapidly to clear his vision.

“It’s alright, you just fell asleep,” Scott explained, patting Isaac with his still trapped hand.

“Did I, you know?” Isaac asked, staring at the floor to avoid looking at anyone.

“Unfortunately, according to Stiles, you’ve lost the sleepover by falling asleep first,” Scott chuckled, shaking his head no when Isaac finally looked up at him. “You should probably go to bed though.” At those words Isaac bit his lip, shooting a worried glance in Stiles’ direction. Scott willed the other boy to refrain from saying anything snarky in this moment.

“Are you sure?” Isaac asked, and Scott could feel the unsaid weight behind those words. Was Scott sure Stiles wouldn’t judge him? Was he sure that his place in the pack was secure? Was Scott sure he wouldn’t throw Isaac away like everyone else? Scott wasn’t sure why people seemed to gravitate toward him for advice now, but he was going to do the best he could while people were choosing to count on him.

“Yes,” Scott said simply, shooting Isaac a fond smile. He pulled the taller boy to his feet, guiding him to the door. “It’ll all be fine.” Isaac nodded a little, still looking unsure, but he made his way down to his room.

“That was-” Stiles started, before cutting off his words at Scott’s sharp stare. “A really big bird that flew past your window.”

“Mmmm,” Scott hummed in agreement, flopping back down on the bed. He ached to just tell Stiles what was going on, to prove to Isaac that it would be okay, but he couldn’t break that trust they’d built up. Isaac needed something he could depend on, so Scott couldn’t go back on his word, no matter how much he thought it would help.

They sat chatting for a few more hours, just hanging out like they had for years. It was such a simple, easy friendship that Scott cherished, especially now with everything that was going on. His mind kept switching back to thoughts of Isaac though, wishing he had someone like this too. Scott figured he was the closest to that person that Isaac had ever had, but he knew Isaac still kept most things hidden. Maybe one day Isaac would feel safe enough to open up.

It was around midnight when Scott heard the sound of the little bell. He jolted up from his slump next to Stiles who was chattering about a comic book, tuning his friend out to listen for the sound of footsteps. When Isaac got up on purpose, he put a little more noise into his steps to signal to Scott that he was awake. These steps were almost inaudible, so he knew what was coming.

“Crap,” Scott muttered, rolling off the bed.

“What?” Stiles quietly exclaimed, rolling off on his own side. “Are we under attack?” Stiles quickly searched around for a weapon, coming up with a lacrosse stick.

“No, just stay chill, okay?” Scott asked, putting up his hands in a signal to stay calm and quiet. Isaac appeared at the door and Scott saw Stiles jerk back a little in surprise, but he stayed silent. He moved away when the taller boy walked over to the bed and slid in, hunkering down right in the center.

“What the hell?” Stiles mouthed, gesturing wildly to the unexpected guest. Scott waved him toward the door, sending him out into the hallway before he accidentally woke Isaac. There was no avoiding the talk now.

“Don’t make it a big deal, but Isaac sleepwalks,” Scott said, feeling a weight lift off his chest after saying those words.

“He sleepwalks to your bed?” Stiles whispered, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Yeah, sometimes. But it’s not a big deal,” Scott defended.

“And you just let him sleep there? Where do you sleep?” Stiles asked, hearing the answer loud and clear when Scott stayed silent. “You’ve been sharing a bed with him!”

“It’s not a big deal!” Scott repeated, feeling discouraged by Stiles’ reaction.

“So you’re telling me that you’ve been sleeping with Isaac all this time, but you’ve been making me sleep on the floor!”

“W-what?” Scott mumbled, not sure if he was hearing this right. That was Stiles’ problem?

“We’re best friends and you’ve tossed me aside to the floor while you’ve been snuggling up with Isaac! I can’t believe you! I’m not going to say that I’m jealous, because I’m not, but I’m a little hurt. It’s because Isaac’s all tall and broad, right? You don’t want to sleep next to boney old Stiles anymore,” Stiles rambled, only stopping when Scott cut him off with a hug.

“I love you,” Scott sighed, patting him on the back. When they pulled apart, Stiles gave him a strange look, but Scott waved him off. “I’ll explain in the morning.”

“Okay, but you will be making it up to me. Don’t think your declarations of love are going to placate me for long,” Stiles muttered, walking back into the room. He stood by the bed, staring down at Isaac with a curious look. Isaac was stretched out on his side with his hand cupped under his cheek, looking more innocent than anyone like him had a right to. Stiles glared one last time at his sleeping bag rolled in the corner, before snatching up his pillow and setting it down next to Isaac’s head.

“What are you doing?” Scott whispered, checking to make sure Isaac hadn’t woken. Stiles ignored him, crawling into the bed behind Isaac and turning on his side so they were back to back.

“Going to sleep, what’s it look like?” Stiles grumbled, closing his eyes and signalling the conversation was over. Scott snorted, contemplating his next move. It might be a tight fit, but there was room for him on the bed. And if two people sharing a bed wasn’t weird, three wouldn’t be either, right? The decision made, he climbed in on Isaac’s other side and laid on his back. He was going to have to talk to his mom about getting him a bigger bed.

*

“What the hell?” Isaac said, making Scott’s eyes fly open in surprise. Isaac’s face was right there, their noses almost touching. Scott tipped his head up, seeing Stiles’ face tucked into the crook of Isaac’s neck. He let his eyes roam further down, noting the arm and leg wrapped around Isaac’s body.

“Uh, I think you’re the little spoon, dude,” Scott said, biting his lip to suppress his smile. Isaac was staring at him in wide eyed shock, frozen in his spot between the two bodies. Scott and Isaac weren’t touching, but only just barely. It should’ve felt awkward, but it really didn’t. Isaac spluttered, trying to find the words to convey his thoughts. His mouth snapped shut at the feeling of Stiles snuggling further into his neck, murmuring words about being so warm.

“Help me,” Isaac begged, wincing at the feel of Stiles’ nose brushing against his ear. Scott finally took pity on him, rolling out of bed so Isaac had space to slide out. Stiles bounced awake from the movement, looking around confused with his hair standing up at all angles.

“What’d I miss?” Stiles croaked, blinking blearily at the others in the room.

“Oh God!” Isaac groaned, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes. Scott couldn’t hold back his grin this time, relieved that Isaac’s fears of judgment were wrong.

“I get it now, Scott,” Stiles moaned, stretching out across the bed. “Isaac’s like a giant teddy bear. I haven’t slept this well in ages.”

“Oh God!” Isaac repeated, turning around to face the wall.

“Sorry, I have boundary issues,” Stiles said, grabbing his pillow and holding it to his chest.

“I’m gonna go die,” Isaac muttered, fleeing from the room. Scott let him go, sitting down in his desk chair.

“That went better than I thought.”

*

Isaac made himself scarce for the rest of the day, which didn’t surprise Scott. He tried not to let himself worry, staying distracted with work and Stiles, but thoughts of Isaac were always swirling around in the back of his mind. The other boy probably just needed time to absorb the fact that Stiles wasn’t judging him and his fears had been unfounded. And Scott would tell him when he got a chance that he swore Stiles to secrecy about everything, which would help too.

“I’m just saying, crust, cheese, and sauce are most important when it comes to pizza. The best toppings in the world can’t mask a poor base,” Stiles argued as he held open the front door. Scott carried the stack of pizzas in, rolling his eyes at Stiles deciding to wax philosophical about something so inconsequential.

“I don’t know man, quality pineapple and canadian bacon can make up for a lot,” Scott replied, needling at him just for sport. Stiles scoffed at him, grabbing drinks and plates before heading up the stairs.

“We’ll let Isaac be the tie breaker,” Stiles determined, knocking on his bedroom door and opening it before even waiting for a response. Isaac jerked in surprise, pulling his ear buds out of his ears. 

“What part of the pizza is most important?”

“Huh?” Isaac said, looking to Scott for assistance.

“What’s more important when it comes to a good pizza? Good toppings or a good base?” Scott asked.

“Uh, both?” Isaac shrugged.

“Wow, such a well thought out argument,” Stiles chuckled, rolling his eyes.

“No really. Having a good foundation is one thing, but how you present yourself is important too. Not everything can be perfect in all ways, so if you use what you can to build up the parts that need work, it can make all the difference. But if you’re only putting effort into the extras, people will be able to tell once they dig further,” Isaac explained.

“So you’re saying the right toppings can make up for a bad base and the right base can make up for bad toppings?” Scott asked, oddly invested in this discussion.

“Yeah, I guess. If one part isn’t strong enough to hold up on its own, it’s fine to depend on something else to help elevate it,” Isaac answered, fiddling with his headphones.

“That was actually pretty insightful,” Stiles commented, cocking his head to the side in contemplation. “Okay, I like him. Isaac, come have pizza with us.” Stiles turned at that and walked out of the room. Isaac shot him a quizzical look, but Scott just laughed. He’d just gotten Stiles’ seal of approval. Scott shot him a smug smile, reveling in the fact that he was right about Stiles being cool.

“I can smell the 'I told you so' from here, so save it,” Isaac said, pushing at his shoulder as he walked past him to follow Stiles. Scott felt such a weight fall off his shoulders. This was such a small issue compared to all the others they dealt with, but they were due a win and he would take what he could get. And this probably meant a lot more to Isaac than he’d ever admit.

The night passed more comfortably than it had in awhile, with Isaac and Stiles actually talking instead of taking digs at each other. They even had things in common that Scott and Stiles didn’t. They laughed as they ate the pizza, competing to see who could sound the most pretentious while spewing inane theories about the world around them. Everything was relaxed until Isaac started yawning and got up to head to his room.

“Where are you going?” Stiles asked.

“Bed?” Isaac replied, jerking his thumb in the direction of the hallway.

“Why don’t we just cut out the middleman and all start out in here? I know I’m not going back to the floor and while Scott may not mind, getting woken up in the middle of the night isn’t my favorite,” Stiles said, rubbing the bed enticingly. 

“It’s not every night,” Isaac mumbled, crossing his arms defensively in front of his chest.

“But it helps though, right? So why fight it when it could help in the long run?” Stiles challenged.

“Because it’s weird,” Isaac sighed, glancing away.

“After my mom died, I slept in my dad’s bed for a while,” Stiles said quietly. Isaac’s eyes immediately snapped back to his, knowing this serious of a topic demanded his full attention and respect.  
“There’s nothing wrong with seeking out a little comfort when you need it.”

“That’s different though. That was your dad after you lost your mom,” Isaac argued.

“Was your dad there for you after you lost your mom?” Stiles asked, understanding what Isaac’s silence meant before he continued. “Have you ever had someone you could depend on when you needed it?”

“Not really,” Isaac whispered, biting his lip. “But why now? And why Scott?”

“Why not now, with everything that’s been going on? You lost the last of your family, one of your pack, your life is in danger like all the time. It’s kind of amazing that you haven’t lost it completely. And who else would you choose besides Scott? He’s pretty good at being there for people,” Stiles said, making Scott blush a little bit. Stiles was such a good friend.

“I lived with Derek for months and didn’t do this,” Isaac scoffed, shaking his head a little.

“Thank goodness for that. Can you imagine Derek trying to comfort anyone? He probably needs more professional help than all of us combined,” Stiles snorted. He sighed, schooling his face into a more serious look. “I know from personal experience how hard it is to accept help when you need it, but you aren’t going to get a better offer than the one you have right now.”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Isaac grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Scott’s paying me,” Stiles replied, frowning when Isaac immediately turned and left the room. Scott and Stiles exchanged a look of panic, the mood turning faster than they could understand. “Where are you going?”

“Changing into my sleep clothes,” Isaac called back with an exaggerated sigh. Scott grinned over at his best friend, knowing Stiles had made big strides with Isaac. Stiles waved him off, but not before he could hide his self satisfied little smirk.

“How are we doing this?” Isaac asked a few minutes later when he came back.

“Since I don’t want to fight with Scott over who gets to snuggle the teddy bear, looks like you’re in the middle again,” Stiles grinned, turning down the covers for him. Isaac rolled his eyes, but didn’t argue, sliding into the bed and laying on his back. Stiles immediately followed, latching himself onto his side. “Were you always this warm or is it a wolf thing?”

“I think it’s a wolf thing,” Scott said from Isaac’s other side.

“Then I call middle tomorrow night. That just sounds cozy,” Stiles chuckled.

“Fine by me. That good with you, Isaac?” Scott asked. When he didn’t get an answer he leaned up, surprised to find Isaac already asleep. He exchanged grins with Stiles before laying his head back down, letting his chest brush against Isaac’s arm. He fell asleep secure in the knowledge that Isaac would be okay for another night. They could deal with the rest as it came.

*

Melissa crept down the hall toward Scott’s room, the motherly instinct as strong as ever. Some people might think you got past the checking up on your kids stage as they got older, but she still did it whenever she got the opportunity. Of course it was harder now with his supernatural abilities, but that just made it more precious. Who knew how much longer she’d be able to get away with it?

She headed to Isaac’s room first, prepared to just put her ear to the door since he kept it closed at night, but she’d found the door open and the room empty. She was a little bit surprised, since Stiles was still staying over, but she’d just see for herself what they were up to.

Melissa put her hand up to her mouth when she got to the doorway, holding back the coo that was just begging to burst out. The three of them were squished into Scott’s bed, all in a row. Scott was on one end, curled around Isaac’s back, and Stiles was tucked in Isaac’s long arms, his face smushed against his chest. She pulled out her phone and snapped a few pics, wanting to cherish this moment forever. 

Isaac snuffled a little, but quieted down after Scott nuzzled at him with his head a bit. This werewolf thing still took some time to get used to, but moments like this made it seem not so bad. Melissa went back to bed, reassured knowing that her boys were safe for the night. All three of her boys.


End file.
